Machine



(No Model.)

J. HOPMANN.

WASHING MACHINE. 7 N0.- 569,379. PatentedOct. 13, 1896-.

I FIG.6. I 164.1.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

.IOIIN IIOFMANN, OF COYINGTON, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE ACME COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

WASHING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 569,379, dated October 13, 1896.

Application filed December 16, 1895. Serial No. 572,281. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN HOFMANN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Covington, in the county of Kenton and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Washing-Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, reference being had to the annexed drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My improved washing-machine comprises a suds-box, a concave rubber adapted to vibrate therein, a convex rubber adapted to vibrate within said concave rubber, but in opposite directions thereto, a lid hinged to said box and devices mounted upon the lid for the purpose of simultaneously operating said rubbers, the devices being actuated by a single handle-bar, as hereinafter more fully described.

In the annexed drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved washing-machine. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same, taken in the plane of a central slot of the lid. Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the upper part of the machine, taken in the plane of the bearings of the pair of rubbers. Fig. l is an elevation of a preferred form of hinge wherewith the lid is coupled to the suds-box, the lid being seen in its normal or closed position. Fig. 5 is a similar elevation of said hinge, but showing the lid opened. Fig. 6 is an enlarged side elevation of a slotted lever rigidly secured to the convex rubber.

My suds-box consists of a pair of practically semicircular end pieces A A, having a sheet-metal bottom B and supported upon legs C, metallic bearings act being secured to said end pieces to admit pivots d cl of the concave rubber. This rubber consists of a pair of practically semicircular end pieces D D, united together by a system of slats E, the latterbeing about triangular in cross-section and having their apices presented inwardly or toward the pivots d d. Furthermore, said rubber is adapted to vibrate freely within the suds-box and has fitted within it a convex rubber composed of endpieces F F and triangular slats G, the apices of these slats being presented outwardly. This convex rubber is a gravitating device adapted to swing freely within the concave rubber, and the end pieces F F have pivots f f, that traverse guides H H, secured to the inner side of the lid I, spiral springs h h being usually fitted within said guides for the purpose of holding the convex rubber down with a yielding pressure.

Lid I may be coupled to the suds-box with ordinary hinges i, but preferably by a special contrivance to be hereinafter described, and has mounted upon it a pair of standards J J, to which are pivoted bell-crank levers K K, the upper ends thereof being united by a cross-bar or handle 7e. L is another cross-bar uniting the lower portions of said levers KK and passing through a vertically-divided slide M M, that traverses the longitudinal slot at of a lever N, the latter being rigidly secured to a stretcher O, uniting the end pieces F F of the convex rubber.

Lever N vibrates within the central slot t of the lid, a pair of slots 0; i being made near the sides of said lid to admit connecting-rods P P, that communicate motion from the bellcrank levers K K to the concave rubber, between which and the convex rubber is left a semiannular space Z to receive the clothes to be washed.

To use this machine, the lid I is first opened, the suds-box A filled with water, and then the soiled clothes are placed within the semiannular space Z, the springs h h enabling the convex rubber to yield and adjust itself to the exact quantity of articles to be washed; The lid is then closed and the operator, standing at the hinged side of the machine, proceeds to work the handle is back and forth, and in so doing the two rubbers are vibrated simultaneously, but in opposite directions. Consequently the articles are thoroughly rubbed and cleansed by the oppositely-moving slats E G, and if the clothes should get bunchec between said slats no damage can be done, because the springs h h will instantly yield and allow the convex rubber to accommodate itself to the new condition of affairs.

In the special form of hinge seen in Figs. 4 and 5 a plate It is fastened to the end piece A of the suds-box and has at one end a longitudinal slot 7' and near its other end a short lateral stud r. S is another plate secured to the lid I and having at one end a short lateral stud s and near its other end a curved slot 8. Vhen the lid is hinged to the box with these appliances, the stud 'r" occupies the curved slot 5, while the other stud s engages with the straight longitudinal slot 9'. Therefore when said lid is closed, as seen in Fig.

at, the stud r prevents it shifting in one direction and the stud s prevents said lid sliding in an opposite direction. Owing to this arrangement of the various parts, the stud 3 serves as a pivot for the lid, and as soon as the latter is swung up said stud traverses the slot 0', and when said lid is completely opened it stands about at the angle seen in Fig. 5

and is not liable to fall down and close the suds-box or tub. This sliding forward of the stud 8 within the slot '7' is due to the fact that the curved slot 8 is not concentric with said stud, but is eccentric thereto, and by giving this slot more or less eccentricity a greater or less travel can be imparted to the pivot 8, ac-

cording to the pitch it is desired to have the open lid I stand at. Finally, the bottom of the suds-box need not be concentric with the axis of the outer or concave rubber, but such a construction is preferred, for reasons well known to all builders of washing-machines.

I claim as my invention 1. ihe combination, in a washing-machine, of a suds-box having a slotted lid I 2" 2'" i hinged to it; a concave rubberD D E, adapted to vibrate within said box; a convex rubber F F G, applied to guides 11 H, of said lid, and adapted to vibrate within said concave rubber; a slotted lever N n, projecting rigidly from said convex rubber, and traversing the slot 2", a slide M carried by a rod L, and reciprocating within the slot n, rocking levers K, K, mounted upon the lid, and having said rod L, secured to them; rods P, P, that pass through the slots 2', i", and connect said levers K, K, to the concave rubber; and a handle-bar 7t, uniting the upper ends of these levers, all as herein described, and for the purpose set forth.

2. A washing-machine hinge consisting of a plate R capable of being secured to the tub A, and having near one end a longitudinal slot 0*, and near its other end a lateral stud 0", in combination with a plate S capable of being attached to the lid 1, and having near one end a lateral stud s, that traverses said slot r, and near its other end a curved slots through which is passed said stud 4' said slot 3, being eccentric, with reference to said stud s, for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

J Ol-IN IIOFMANN. Vito esses:

JAMES H. LAYMAR, ARTHUR MOORE. 

